Vacant and derelict properties can be seen all across Ireland, with the issue being widespread in Dublin City Centre.

The dereliction in our capital city has been explored by The Irish Times through the ‘Derelict Dublin’ series.

A derelict site at Dolphin's Barn in Dublin, 6-4-24. Image: Leah Farrell/© RollingNews.ie

Dublin editor of the paper Olivia Kelly joined Newstalk Breakfast to explain what is causing the problem.

“I think in a way we’re quite different to other capital cities in that there is not sort of the one bad place, or the no-go area – the dereliction is very widespread,” she said.

“You’ll have streets where maybe a row of older houses was bought up years ago with the intention of redevelopment, the redevelopment never happened, and that’s just been left there sort of languishing.

“It obviously gets worse the longer it’s left... A vacant site that’s left long term or a vacant building that’s been left long term almost inevitably becomes a derelict building.”

Boom and bust

Ms Kelly said that certain sites around the city have been left abandoned since the 1950’s or 60’s.

“Some things make it worse,” she said.

“In a way the boom and bust made it worse because sites were bought up during the boom with the intention of redevelopment [that] didn't happen during the bust.

“Many of them are still lying around now.”

Old store buildings in Ireland. Image: P.Spiro / Alamy. 6 March 2023

According to Ms Kelly, the issues begin when tryingt to find the owners of these properties.

“The Council’s starting point is finding out who owns these properties,” she said.

“Obviously, it’s not as easy, as it was seen where we have a complex registry system for that.

“People often don’t actually go and register their interest in a property; they may hold the title to a property, but they haven’t gone and put it in the registry of deeds.”

Ms Kelly said that once the Council finds the person who owns the property, they will encourage them to do it up themselves.

If this is not possible, the person will then be encouraged to put the property up for sale.

Ms Kelly also said that some properties are purchased by the Council in such a bad state that almost the entire structure needs to be demolished.

Main image: An old derelict shop front from Victorian Dublin that is covered graffiti and tags. Image: Douglas O'Connor / Alamy. 5 April 2020